The June 2008 issue of Writer’s Digest features the magazine’s annual listing of 101 best Websites for writers. It’s interesting reading, as much for what it doesn’t include as for what it does.
The listing is broken into research and reference Websites such as Merriam-Webster’s online dictionary and Wikipedia, resources on publishers, agents and the book business, freelance job listings, online communities, marketing tools, and lots of genre-specific sites.
It’s a good list, but some areas are a little thin, at least to this freelancer’s eye. There’s not much about the mechanics of writing. Newer genres, such as writing for the Web, blogging for pay and search engine optimization (SEO) writing are left out completely. So is Freelance Success, the subscription newsletter and Website that caters mainly to experienced magazine writers and one of the best resources for freelancers out there.
I chalk up the omissions to Writer’s Digest’s mission to be all things to all writers – you can’t spread yourself that thin without doing a disservice to something or somebody.
Still, it’s worth investigating.
And if you’re a writer with a Website or blog about writing, you’ll be interested in a contest Writer’s Digest is running. The magazine is soliciting entries for a contest to name the top 10 personal Websites or blogs from writers about writers. According to the magazine, sites will be judged on presentation, ease of use and marketing effectiveness. WD’s editors will judge the sites and a list of the winners will appear in the magazine’s October 2008 issue, e-newsletter and online. The prize is modest: a year’s subscription to WD and Writersmarket.com. Submissions are due by June 10. Nominate yourself by sending an email with a link to your Website or blog to writersdig@fwpubs.com with “Best Writer’s Site” in the subject line.
If you haven’t discovered it before, you can read my list of best blogs for writers here.